


Legacy

by rilina



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-09
Updated: 2006-05-09
Packaged: 2017-10-03 08:38:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rilina/pseuds/rilina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jiraiya and Yondaime, up on the roof.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Legacy

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers through volume 28. Written for deralte.

Jiraiya misses the installation of his only surviving pupil as the Yondaime Hokage. By the time Jiraiya arrives in Konahagakure—on the head a giant toad, of course—the young Hokage is stretched out on the roof of the administrative building, watching the sunset. His red and white robe of office is bright against the dull terracotta tiles.

“When they put your ugly mug on the mountain, _Hokage-sama,_” Jiraiya roars by way of greeting, “they won’t let you grin like that.”

The kid turns his familiar blinding smile from the clouds to the Sannin and says, “They made me retake my photo three times when I was a genin. Hullo, Gama, how’s the boss? The ceremony ended four hours ago, ero-sensei. Even the village councilors have finally left me in peace.”

“You think I didn’t come late to avoid those windbags?”

“I'm sure you did.” The kid doesn’t bother to ask where Jiraiya has been; if the Hokage needs to know, he knows Jiraiya will tell him.

Jiraiya leaps from Gama’s head to the roof; the tiles crack a bit beneath his sandals when he lands. He feels his age when he looks at the kid; Jiraiya's always been ponderous compared to other shinobi, but especially compared to Konoha’s Yellow Flash.

“Kakashi-kun thinks I’m going to get myself killed.”

“The brat’s right, you know.”

“Bah. It’s not like I’m any different from who I was yesterday.” He rubs the top of his head a bit sheepishly, perhaps embarrassed by his emphatic words, sending his spiky blond hair in even more directions. The funny thing, Jiraiya thinks, is that the words aren’t a lie or even an exaggeration. The kid always had a spirit of fire, even before he had the title to match.

And Jiraiya knows enough about the world to be terribly afraid for him.

“Where is the brat anyway?”

The famous smile falters a bit. “Ah. Yes. At his own initiation. He joined the ANBU this afternoon.”

“I can’t believe you encouraged that.”

“I didn’t. But at least he answers to me, not someone else." The kid’s silent for a while. “Did you ever think your face would be on the mountain, Jiraiya-sensei? I always thought yours would be when I was Kakashi-kun’s age.”

Jiraiya shrugs. “Some things should skip a generation. You can be my legacy.”

“Better me than _Icha Icha Paradise_.” The kid adjusts his precious hitae-ite, reaches for his ridiculous new hat. “What should mine be?”

“We’ve already covered that, Hokage-sama. Your mug on the mountain. And I’ll write another book: _Graffiti for Genins_.”

The kid laughs, and Jiraiya wonders how Konahagakure could have ever considered entrusting its future to someone else. “You do that, ero-sensei. Find another interesting egg, and you do your best to lead him astray.” He stands up, stretches, and catches Gama’s wandering attention. “Let’s go find something to eat, shall we?”


End file.
